The Powys Midwifery Team has been rising to the challenge of coronavirus by putting in place new services to support mums and families in the county.

Julie Richards, Head of Midwifery for Powys Teaching Health Board said: “Coronavirus presents a number of new challenges for families well as our staff, and we recognise that this can create additional anxiety for pregnant women and new families.

“We have needed to make some essential changes to keep you safe and keep our staff safe."

This includes essential reductions on visiting, attending antenatal appointments alone and having a single birth partner present for birth centre births and home births.

Resources have been added to the health board website including links to some useful ‘frequently asked questions’ to help women and families make healthy decisions during coronavirus.

Shelly Higgins, Consultant Midwife, said: “Our team has been expanding the range of services they provide online. Our Bump Talk Pregnancy In Powys Facebook page now has over 1000 followers, and we have been providing regular advice and updates.

“Reducing face to face contact is vital in response to Coronavirus (COVID-19), so have taken the difficult decision to pause our face-to-face antenatal classes. Our midwives have now begun to provide these classes via video. Our first three videos cover options for place of birth, an introduction to antenatal and newborn screening, your choices in the third stage of labour, when to call your midwife, and the physiology of labour. The videos are available via Bump Talk on Facebook as well as from our PTHB Women’s Services YouTube channel.

“These aim to be an additional support alongside the ongoing contact with your midwife. Antenatal appointments and scans are continuing and count as essential travel. We are also continuing to offer home birth and midwife-led births in the county. We also continue to support women in Powys with their antenatal and postnatal care if they are having a consultant-led birth in neighbouring acute hospitals.”

Julie Richards, added: “Thank you to everyone for your patience in these challenging times. We would encourage you to contact your local midwifery team if they have any questions or concerns.”